Housing in Boston

Real estate agents, those selling homes and snobs will rejoice that Boston has the fifth highest median housing prices in the United States; behind San Francisco, San Diego, Los Angeles and New York City.

At least that is what I learned last Wednesday when I was reading The Boston Globe. Analysts with HSH.com apparently calculated how much buyers would need to earn to afford the principal and interest payment on a median-priced home in their market.

While I am happy that property in Boston is so valuable, providing more affordable housing is something I think is essential to this city.

The problem in Greater Boston with housing can be laid at the feet of people who live there. The law of supply and demand is stymied by those that have their own and don’t want anyone else in. The building of anything in and around Boston is next to impossible. Cities like Atlanta and Dallas house the nation’s Fortune 500. Boston creates everything just to see the talent they educated pick up and leave to cities that have basics like housing. It is a provincial mind set you find in the people that stops Boston from taking her proper place at the top of pile. Boston needs leadership!

I concur that more affordable housing needs to be constructed. I believe it needs to be a mix of sale and rental properties.

What is alarming is how the construction industry has been able to skirt the regulations that are already in place. The Boston Redevelopment Authority continues to allow this – there needs to be a revamp of not only the affordable housing guidelines for new projects and significant renovations but on enforcement.

This sits with both the BRA and the Mayor and City Council. Right now the developers seem to be running the show – and that is wrong.